Just like Tetris, the iPhone and iPad took the world by storm and copycats abound. Now Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris, has released an iOS app, DWICE ($1.99), that bears some similarity to his original creation and adds a modern, space-age feel.

I've been a fan of Rube Goldberg's drawings of overly complicated inventions since I first saw one. Now, through the magic of the iPad and Rube Works ($2.99), you can recreate some of his inventions, using an elegant, sophisticated interface.

If you're not familiar with Rube Goldberg, you owe it to yourself to do a Google search. Basically, he takes simple tasks, like an alarm to wake you up, and combines a plethora of obscure devices and even animals to accomplish the task! Rube Goldberg machines are far more complex than they need to be, and that's the point.

I love my iPhone 5s, and I love the Touch ID feature. So naturally, I want to protect the phone. That means using a rugged case, but most rugged cases, like the OtterBox for example, completely enclose the iPhone's home button, rendering the Touch ID sensor useless.

Many iPad apps, especially office-style apps, are just desktop apps repurposed for the smaller screen. Tap & Edit (free) is different. It's a text entry and formatting app that incorporates gestures as an integral part of the app.

For example, a long double tap with two fingers selects a paragraph. Then you can make pinch and zoom style gestures to decrease and increase the font size. You can rotate the actual text using the same gestures typically used for rotating photos in other apps.

I love it when a plan comes together... and I love it when a vendor enhances their product, either based on my review, or coincidentally with my recommendations! Either way, such improvements need to be recognized. Such is the case with HeartMath and their Inner Balance Sensor for iOS.

I don't typically write about the same app two or more times; there's only so much time to cover the one million apps out there. But VIPorbit, the Contact Manager deserves mention. VIPorbit was created by Mike Muhney, the co-creator of the original contact manager, ACT!, which took the world by storm in the late 1980s. When I last wrote about VIPorbit, I praised it, but criticized the color scheme. Thankfully, the latest version uses a much more elegant purple color palette.

If you're reading iPhoneLife.com, you already have an iOS device, or plan on getting one for the holidays. But the fun doesn't have to stop there. You will want to leverage some of the great accessories available for the iOS platform, especially iPads. Here are a few to consider:

Black Friday and the holidays are coming, so the odds are you are planning to upgrade your gear. I picked up a two of the iPhone 5s models and am planning to get an iPad mini Retina. This means I have a couple of iPhone 4's and an older iPad mini to do something with, not to mention a Kindle Fire that just collects dust.

It's getting cold outside, so if you're a cyclist and worried about tracking your workout while indoors, technology is coming to the rescue. XSPIN from PAFERS claims to be "The World’s First Cycling 'Appcessory' for Indoor Fitness Equipment."

Bluetooth held great promise when it first appeared on the scene, but its Achilles Heel has always been long distance. Beyond ten meters, and certainly around 30 meters, the sound can be unreliable. If you're an audiophile, you wouldn't build a whole-house audio solution around Bluetooth. Even AirPlay locks you in to Apple devices and supported apps.